


Emmry for the Holidays

by Fericita



Category: Mercy Street (TV)
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Politics, faking dating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28262778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fericita/pseuds/Fericita
Summary: Henry crossed his arms which wasn’t a no, it meant he was thinking.  That he was weighing all of the possible outcomes and deciding.  He never did anything quickly and it was partly why he’d be good at this, why her parents would believe it and stop trying to set her up with the Fairfax boy who was finishing up at Tech or the oldest Stringfellow in his first year of law school up north.
Relationships: Emma Green/Henry Hopkins
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4
Collections: Mercy Street Crossover Advent Silver and AU





	Emmry for the Holidays

“Just for the week?” 

“Just for the week. Just while my parents are here and the only accomplishment that will matter to them will be the fact that I’m dating someone whose major they approve of and not that I’m graduating summa cum laude,” Emma said as she adjusted the candles on the coffee table and then fanned out the magazines, pulling  _ Garden and Gun _ out of a plastic Barnes & Noble bag and placing it on top. It obscured  _ The New Yorker  _ but she pulled it out anyway, tossing it to the recycling bin from across the room. 

Henry crossed his arms which wasn’t a no, it meant he was thinking. That he was weighing all of the possible outcomes and deciding. He never did anything quickly and it was partly why he’d be good at this, why her parents would believe it and stop trying to set her up with the Fairfax boy who was finishing up at Tech or the oldest Stringfellow in his first year of law school up north. “They’ll approve of history?”

“Yes,” she said, relieved he was considering. She thought she could convince him if it wasn’t a flat out no. She’d talked him into Spring Break in Appalachia instead of the panhandle - or maybe he had convinced her. She couldn’t remember. “But probably won’t approve of you going to seminary, so don’t bring it up if you can help it. They like Methodists but not ones who actually care about being Methodists, so just stick to history. The Revolution is probably safer than the Civil War.”

“Washington, Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, got it.”

She resisted naming more of the Viriginians, she knew he knew them and that he could talk about Madison if the situation required it. But it reminded her of the other delicate topic. “Also, you vote Republican. Johnny Isakson Repbulican. Not Brain Kemp Republican. No xenophobia or racism, just classism disguised as the belief that a hardworking individual can overcome hardship without any government intervention whatsoever.”

“That’s a bit like racism,” he said, the furrow in his brow deepening, “maybe a lot.” 

She nodded, agreeing. She had a bad habit of excusing their racism or not seeing entirely. Though, she reasoned, she didn’t even want to be honest about her lack of a dating life, so tackling white privilege was probably off the table for this visit too. 

“What if I want to do it for real?”

Emma looked at him, confused. “What for real? Vote Republican?” Surely he didn’t mean that. At least half of his t-shirts were emblazoned with Warnock or Warren and she would mourn the loss of his forearms and how those particular shirts pulled across his chest, his shoulders on display as the rest of him conveyed their deep belief in a social safety net. But she could make the sacrifice for a week.

“No. Date you.” He reached to her ear and tucked a strand of dark hair behind it, reverently, like he was paying homage or genuflecting. She sucked in a breath. 

“Well,” she said, eyes on his his, then moving down to look at his lips, “that would make things even easier.”


End file.
